November | 1996

He Knows
November 10, 1996	Sermon by DRW	Passage John 11

Outline

1. Jesus Loved Lazarus (3, 36)

2. Wasn’t Worried (4, 9-11)

3. Jesus Was Compassionate (35)

4. Jesus Was Able (38ff)

Discussion

Introduction Have you ever been in a situation that you thought was too hard for you to handle? Maybe it was a job you sought after and couldn’t get or a helper in ministry that never showed or a helpmate for eternity that remains elusive or a child that you wanted to have that hasn’t come. Maybe it is good grades that are getting harder and harder to maintain, or a relationship with your family that is rough and beyond help. Maybe it is a tomorrow that you are worried over or a past that has caused you grievous guilt. If we are breathing, we each have been in a situation that was too hard to handle (maybe more than once). Think about that as we consider our passage before us. ***** read a portion of the passage. As we continue, we shall read the rest of it. Let us pray:

Father, open our eyes to Your wonderful truth. Allow us for this period of time to worship You in that truth. Father, show us that we are here to give you glory and honour as we worship You. Grant us understanding in how to praise You more as we seek Your Spirit’s insight into this Scripture before us today. Amen.

TRANSITION: I would like for us to notice a few things about this passage before we even begin to discuss it.

1. Jesus Loved Lazarus (3, 36) Repeat that with me. Jesus Loved Lazarus. Again.

2. Jesus Was Not Worried (4, 9-11) Repeat that with me. Jesus Was Not Worried. Again.

3. Jesus Was Compassionate (35) Repeat that with me. Jesus Was Compassionate. Again.

4. Jesus Was Able (38ff) Repeat that with me. Jesus Was Able. Again.

Remember these truths as we continue in our discussion of John 11.

1. Jesus Loved Lazarus (3, 36)

As the story goes, Jesus was somewhere other than Judea (we can guess as to the place: Nazareth; maybe the Samaritan town of John 4; probably about 4 days or so from Bethany). It was here that a man gave a message regarding Lazarus and his sickness. It is of interest to note that the man describes Lazarus as one whom Jesus loved (as did the crowd in John 11.36). I bring this to our attention today because of its significance to us when we beseech the Lord in a matter.

Martha, Lazarus and Mary were part of a family that supported Jesus financially and physically. They provided coins and a house, food and a table; they were a second family to Him. We all know that Martha was a very busy woman. In Luke 10 Martha is complaining to Jesus about Mary’s lack of service. In John 12 she is quietly serving Jesus with no complaints. Something happened between these two dinners that caused her attitude to be transformed and that had to have been what we shall see in John 11. She went from attention to herself to attention to Jesus and John 11 shows why (as we shall see).

Little is know of Lazarus for he is very quiet. His voice is never heard in the Gospels. The only mention of him outside of John 11 is John 12 where the religious leaders were seeking to kill him because of his great witness for Christ (a silent one, but effective due to the life change he had).

Mary is always seen at the feet of Jesus. In Luke 10 she is seated at His feet, in John 11 she runs and falls at His feet, and in John 12 she is wiping His feet with her hair. In her we see a simple trust and faith; a submission to the One who rules over her and a grateful heart for what he has done and (for us) will do on the cross.

So, these three send word to Jesus to heal the man of the household that He loved. Listen to their appeal: “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” They brought their burden to Jesus. They brought it to the only One they knew who could do anything about it. They brought it to Jesus as much as we should bring our to Jesus. We can also see the basis of their appeal is not what they did for Jesus and they did do a lot for Him. Sometimes, we pray that way don’t we: Lord, if I give (or I have given) to the poor, so bless me. Their appeal wasn’t on the basis of their love for Jesus, although they did love Him enough to be like an adopted family to Him. We do this: Lord, I love You so much; bless me for this love. They came to Jesus the only way possible-with request in hand; they came to Jesus for an answer-not because of their works or their love- but because He loved them. Jesus would come to them not out of obligation but out of love for them. Jesus would answer their prayers (and ours) because He loves us, not from a sense of duty or obligation. That is good news. He will hear and act from love and nothing less. Remember: Jesus loved Lazarus and he loves each of us too.

TRANSITION I guess the question must be asked: Why did He wait if He loved them (5-16). The answer is given in verse 4.

2. Jesus Wasn’t Worried (4, 9-11)

Jesus knew what was going to happen. He knows the end from the beginning. He is not limited to time-He is God. He states the sickness will not result in death. God knows. He also waited so God’s glory can be known. As we shall see, the death-life that happened to Lazarus glorified God greatly but not the way Mary and Martha would have had it (in the beginning). The waiting was also for Jesus to be glorified. Jesus publically raised someone from the dead. More than that, this showed that Jesus is able to handle even the toughest situations we can get into. Jesus wasn’t worried.

He wasn’t even worried about His possible death (because He knows the end at the beginning-for Himself as-well-as for us) by traveling through Judea (8-16). Those verses seem peculiar to me (9). Why did He mention that. I believe He meant that if any one has the light of God (not the world) in him, he doesn’t have to worry about what may or may not happen to him. If the light of God is in us (His Word and His fellowship), then we don’t have to worry about stumbling or anything else. If Jesus wasn’t worried, should we????

3. Jesus Was Compassionate (35)

More than once in Scripture we have a picture of Christ’s compassion-the bleeding woman, the woman who’s son had died. Here we can feel the compassion Jesus had. Jesus wept so says our text. Why did Jesus weep? (I think some of us men in this body need to consider whether we would weep or refuse to.) What led up to this famous passage?

Jesus made it to Bethany and Lazarus was in the ground for four days. Was He surprised at this and cried because of the death? No-He already knew this was to happen and wasn’t worried. Could it be because He was upset at their unbelief (Mary nor Martha and certainly not the crowd believed that He could raise the dead). TELL THE STORY AND EMPHASIZE THE FAITHS OF MARTHA AND MARY.

Now, Jesus wept because of the compassion He had for people, especially His people in misery. Jesus had compassion because of their pain, and He does the same for us today.

4. Jesus Was Able (38ff)

DISCUSS THE STORY OF THE RAISING OF LAZARUS FROM LUCADO’S “THUNDER”.

Conclusion: Jesus love doesn’t stop at Lazarus but extends to us; He knows our circumstances as-well-as He knew Lazarus and He wants us to see His love in our circumstances and not to gauge His love by our circumstances; His compassion extends from eternity to us today and tomorrow; His ability never ends, it is the same yesterday, today and forever.

So, if there is a situation that you are finding difficult, remember that Jesus loves you, isn’t worried, has compassion toward you and is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond what we can hope.

Do you believe? I hope so-let’s trust Him.

Jesus, thank You for being in control of all things and working good results in all things even though we may not see it. Thank You for doing what is best despite what we might want from our circumstances. Thank You for loving us and letting us grow through our circumstances. As this week progresses Lord, show us Your hand in our life. We trust You and believe You. Amen

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Teach for God Ministries.

Sermons

Monthly Archives: November 1996

He Knows

Scriptural Truths for Today's World